U18 Cholet Basket may be making its debut at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, but Tidjane Salaun is just the next prospects in a long line of greats who have come out of the French club and done big things in Europe and beyond.
Salaun helped his team to two victories in the group stage of the ANGT Patras, averaging 17.0 points on 50.5% three-point shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals.
"It's great to accomplish this with my club. It’s a source of pride," said Salaun, who is playing in his first ANGT event after emerging on scouts’ radars last year.
Salaun was very excited when Cholet was awarded a spot at the ANGT for the first time: "I was super happy, like everyone else. People realize our value. This is my first ANGT, it is also a first for Cholet Basket. We are making history together," he said. "It is an honor to be part of the competition. It is a chance but also a reward for all the work done since the beginning."
Cholet has one French League championship (2010) and two French Cups (1998, 1999) in its trophy case. The club from western France has also been early stops for many top French stars, including Nando de Colo, Rudy Gobert, Rodrigue Beaubois and Killian Hayes, among others.
Salaun came up with Saint-Charles Charenton in the Paris region, a club that has developed many talents around the French capital. Salaun spent five seasons there, playing alongside the likes of Pacome Dadiet of ratiopharm Ulm and Mohamed Diawara from Paris Basketball.
All three went to the famed French academy INSEP/CFBB in 2020, but Salaun left after one season, saying he was dealing with injuries and didn’t have full trust in the coaches.